It's Friday. We Know You Want to Be Sipping a Cocktail at This Paris Bar

When in Paris, stop into the Little Red Door cocktail bar in La Marais. It's one of the world's top 50 bars, and offers up strong, classic cocktails, passionate bartenders, and an unpretentious local crowd.

Though bordeaux and champagne are the beverages generally associated with France, it's the cocktails that have been in the spotlight lately. The City of Light has truly stepped up its cocktail game: not just one but five of its cocktail bars made it onto the prestigious annual "World's 50 Best Bars" list, elevating it to the ranks of top contending cities like New York and London.

Undoubtedly one of the most popular bars among locals in Paris is Little Red Door, which snagged the spot of the 39th best bar in the world in the annual competition. It's located in the northern part of the Le Marais neighborhood, but with its exposed brickwork, dim lighting and (you guessed it) little red door, it has a New York-like, speakeasy feel.

What's so cool about it? It's old school, specializing in strong, classic, and timeless cocktails. "My feeling is that the majority of Parisians are still not fully comfortable drinking new cocktails," explained the head bartender, Matthew Long. "They'll rest on classics such as mojitos, margaritas, and cosmopolitans."

If you're not into the classic pours, no matter. Little Red Door offers up a few cocktail selections for the "serious drinker," like the 1885, a blend of Pusser's Rum 42, Chartreuse Verte, and Laphroaig, and the L'eau D'antan, a blend of scotch whiskey, Laphroaig, Jamaican jerk bitters, and feuilles de menthe. Long personally suggests ordering the Brigadier, a blend of Salers and vermouth that he swears "creates a wonderful harmony."

Though the bar's cocktails are locally loved and internationally-recognized, what truly elevates Little Red Door is its supremely talented yet down-to-earth bartenders. "They offer [customers] a piece of themselves, and their character," explained Long. "The bartenders understand the value of offering something more than just a cocktail." (60 Rue Charlot; +33 01 42 71 19 32; www.lrdparis.com)